Traffic, Tri and Assault #2
Hey, its been awhile. How are you? I'm good, thanks.
Today was the annual K-town triathlon, something that I bet I'll end up doing someday (someday being sooner than later). I actually considered training for it this past winter, but with practice teaching etc, there just wasn't much time to keep running like mad, let alone learn to swim fast and bike faster. Someday though, I can hear it calling my name.
Anyways, for the past few years, I haven't been able to see any of the tri, because I have been in Europe this time of year (chasing pigs, shearing sheep, chasing buses... yknow, standard European vacation fare). But this year, I am very much present, and made sure not to miss the race. Initially planned on waking up early, and heading down for the start of the swim, but really, the swim isn't much to watch.. just people in wet suits trying to drown eachother...and well, whats the bike either.. just a bunch of people in wet suits (ok, how does a wet wet suit on a bike not cause irreversable damage to damageable corners of the anatomy... i think this is a universal mystery)..... ok, fine. Guilty. I slept in.
Wandered down to a great vantage point, right in front of a water station for the run. Some animals were really killin' the run. Unbelievable... I'd think after swimming and cycling, the legs must just feel like cement. Much respect... anyways, this watering station brings me to the first point du jour. Follow me down the rabbit hole of twisted logic that leads to this situation:
As everyone in the free world knows (and maybe even some viewers of Al Jazeera), the city of Kingston closed a large section of King St for the majority of May and June. For what, you ask? They say it has something to do with fixing the "sewer system" (and here I thought our sewer system consisted of an intricate network of residential basements that led to the deep blue sea...), but, seeing as how the lower section of Beverley St still has a smell resembling a humid outhouse.... I believe that there is a deeper, more covert explanation. Put simply... dinosaur bones. It can only be a search for the long rumored, but never substantiated Kingstonosaurus... (having not found it, they have now moved to digging up other areas of the city, see Wellington St, Market Square and Block D).
Ok, point is: the city found it necessary to shut down a major vessel of the city for 2 long months, as we all watched trucks, diggers and, well... orange vested city workers, frozen in time... spending large amounts of time doing what they do best: nothing. And hey, if they wanna find dinosaur bones, more power to them. But, with such power, You'd think that they might also be able to shut down this same section of the street for the triathlon!
But, in their infinite wisdom, they did not. This might have to do with the fact that the event took place on a Sunday, and we all know that weekends might as well not exist for the city. On the seventh day, the city workers rested.
So as we sat and watched the race, we were greeted with far greater struggles:
1) Runner vs Runner: as the race was limited to one lane of traffic, and the race consisted of an out and back route, the lead racers were forced to risk head on collisions with the tail end of the field in pursuit of water, e-Load and sponges.
2) Car vs Car:Those poor drivers, on a leisurely Sunday morning excursion -- hold up. Since when did leisurely Sunday drives take place at 60 km/hr? Where were all these people going?? It was as if the course pilons inspired a spirit of Formula 1 racing in everyone... trying daring manoeuvres to squeeze 2 lanes of traffic into one without losing precious time. I won't even get into the 4 tour buses, countless moving trucks, oversized pick up trucks and trailers... Point is: its a beautiful day, save some gas and walk... and if you must drive, take a hint from the pilons and find a different street. Its not like this event happens every year or anything.
3) Car vs Runner: Fortunately, this situation did not ever materialize to as much of an extent as it could have. The runners did an excellent job avoiding all of the 2000 lb swerving targets that the city could throw at them. This did however lead to my favourite moment of the race:
4) Race Crew vs Car: Finally, one of the chief volunteers reached his limit. Upon seeing a particular driver knock over not one, but three pilons... he stepped right out in front of her speeding death machine and let her have it. No holds barred. This verbal exchange was definitely Rated R. R for necessaRy.
Perhaps next year, we should rename the triathlon: "Kingstonian Gladiators"... less swimming, more drowning. Less biking, more shoulder powered tennis ball guns... the run needn't be changed, its already The Gauntlet. Or, we could just close the road to traffic. Hmmm.
Ok, thats off my chest now. After watching the race... walked home. loaded up the iPod Shuffle with a fresh set of tunes... grabbed the full set of gear for my own leisurely Sunday excursion, and made the second assault on the cottage. Wasn't as humid today as 2 weeks ago, and it was definitely appreciated. Did the 30km in 2:39:00. Pretty good, considering the 9 mile pace run I had done less than 18 hours beforehand. Things are lookin' good.
I'm out.
Today was the annual K-town triathlon, something that I bet I'll end up doing someday (someday being sooner than later). I actually considered training for it this past winter, but with practice teaching etc, there just wasn't much time to keep running like mad, let alone learn to swim fast and bike faster. Someday though, I can hear it calling my name.
Anyways, for the past few years, I haven't been able to see any of the tri, because I have been in Europe this time of year (chasing pigs, shearing sheep, chasing buses... yknow, standard European vacation fare). But this year, I am very much present, and made sure not to miss the race. Initially planned on waking up early, and heading down for the start of the swim, but really, the swim isn't much to watch.. just people in wet suits trying to drown eachother...and well, whats the bike either.. just a bunch of people in wet suits (ok, how does a wet wet suit on a bike not cause irreversable damage to damageable corners of the anatomy... i think this is a universal mystery)..... ok, fine. Guilty. I slept in.
Wandered down to a great vantage point, right in front of a water station for the run. Some animals were really killin' the run. Unbelievable... I'd think after swimming and cycling, the legs must just feel like cement. Much respect... anyways, this watering station brings me to the first point du jour. Follow me down the rabbit hole of twisted logic that leads to this situation:
As everyone in the free world knows (and maybe even some viewers of Al Jazeera), the city of Kingston closed a large section of King St for the majority of May and June. For what, you ask? They say it has something to do with fixing the "sewer system" (and here I thought our sewer system consisted of an intricate network of residential basements that led to the deep blue sea...), but, seeing as how the lower section of Beverley St still has a smell resembling a humid outhouse.... I believe that there is a deeper, more covert explanation. Put simply... dinosaur bones. It can only be a search for the long rumored, but never substantiated Kingstonosaurus... (having not found it, they have now moved to digging up other areas of the city, see Wellington St, Market Square and Block D).
Ok, point is: the city found it necessary to shut down a major vessel of the city for 2 long months, as we all watched trucks, diggers and, well... orange vested city workers, frozen in time... spending large amounts of time doing what they do best: nothing. And hey, if they wanna find dinosaur bones, more power to them. But, with such power, You'd think that they might also be able to shut down this same section of the street for the triathlon!
But, in their infinite wisdom, they did not. This might have to do with the fact that the event took place on a Sunday, and we all know that weekends might as well not exist for the city. On the seventh day, the city workers rested.
So as we sat and watched the race, we were greeted with far greater struggles:
1) Runner vs Runner: as the race was limited to one lane of traffic, and the race consisted of an out and back route, the lead racers were forced to risk head on collisions with the tail end of the field in pursuit of water, e-Load and sponges.
2) Car vs Car:Those poor drivers, on a leisurely Sunday morning excursion -- hold up. Since when did leisurely Sunday drives take place at 60 km/hr? Where were all these people going?? It was as if the course pilons inspired a spirit of Formula 1 racing in everyone... trying daring manoeuvres to squeeze 2 lanes of traffic into one without losing precious time. I won't even get into the 4 tour buses, countless moving trucks, oversized pick up trucks and trailers... Point is: its a beautiful day, save some gas and walk... and if you must drive, take a hint from the pilons and find a different street. Its not like this event happens every year or anything.
3) Car vs Runner: Fortunately, this situation did not ever materialize to as much of an extent as it could have. The runners did an excellent job avoiding all of the 2000 lb swerving targets that the city could throw at them. This did however lead to my favourite moment of the race:
4) Race Crew vs Car: Finally, one of the chief volunteers reached his limit. Upon seeing a particular driver knock over not one, but three pilons... he stepped right out in front of her speeding death machine and let her have it. No holds barred. This verbal exchange was definitely Rated R. R for necessaRy.
Perhaps next year, we should rename the triathlon: "Kingstonian Gladiators"... less swimming, more drowning. Less biking, more shoulder powered tennis ball guns... the run needn't be changed, its already The Gauntlet. Or, we could just close the road to traffic. Hmmm.
Ok, thats off my chest now. After watching the race... walked home. loaded up the iPod Shuffle with a fresh set of tunes... grabbed the full set of gear for my own leisurely Sunday excursion, and made the second assault on the cottage. Wasn't as humid today as 2 weeks ago, and it was definitely appreciated. Did the 30km in 2:39:00. Pretty good, considering the 9 mile pace run I had done less than 18 hours beforehand. Things are lookin' good.
I'm out.
posted by sobe at
8:26 PM
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